Elevator systems are widely known and used. A typical elevator system includes an elevator cab that moves within a hoistway between landings in a building, for example, to transport passengers, cargo or both between building levels. Typically, a hoistway entrance includes at least one elevator door that hangs from a set of rollers that roll along a track near the top of the hoistway entrance. The cab also has at least one door. An actuator supported on the cab moves the cab and hoistway elevator doors between open and closed positions when the cab is at a landing. The bottom of each elevator door includes a gib that is received into a guide groove within a door sill near the bottom of the door. The gib follows the guide groove as the elevator door moves. The gib and guide groove also cooperate to keep the door plumb.
Typical guide grooves require significant maintenance. The guide groove is exposed to passengers and cargo entering and exiting the elevator cab. The passengers and cargo track dirt and debris that can accumulate in the guide groove. The accumulation may increase friction between the gib and the guide groove. If the accumulation is large enough, the elevator door may not move as desired within the guide groove. Therefore, typical guide grooves continually require cleaning to remove dirt and debris from the guide groove.
One proposal has been to include a passage at the ends of the guide groove. This approach introduces the possibility for a door gib to push debris into one of the passages. A drawback to this approach is that it complicates the design of the guide assembly. Additionally, this approach is not consistent enough to avoid periodic, manual cleaning.
There is a need for an elevator guide assembly that requires less cleaning and maintenance. This invention addresses those needs and provides enhanced capabilities while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.